Teaching both adults and university students has become one of my core professional interests. I am currently developing a civic education program that helps residents understand how local government works and, more importantly, how to participate effectively in it. The program is designed to move beyond simply providing information by helping participants develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become more active members of their communities.
The program is being piloted in Brooklyn, New York this summer (2026) in collaboration with Old Stone House with the help of outstanding political science students at Columbia University and Barnard College. Session weave between interactive teaching sessions providing basic information on how government works and how you can engage and discussion with practitioners working on these issues. This project also has a YouTube channel where you can find short videos on the topics we cover and other NYC government topics.
Following the completion and evaluation of the pilot, we hope to expand the program to more communities within NYC and in other cities and towns in the US and partner with city governments and educational institutions to make this type of learning broadly accessible.
Module 1: Who Does What in Local Government? (Slides).
This session provides an introduction to the main positions in local government, what power different political leaders and government officials have, and how citizens can engage with them. Participants will learn which officials are responsible for key issue areas, where public meetings take place, and how to connect the issues they care about to specific offices, agencies, and site of civic engagement.
Special Guests for Q&A:
Mike Racciopo, Director, Community Board 6.
Joanna Tallantire, Executive Director, Park Slope 5th Avenue BID.
Jules Block, Owner, Bark Slope; Board Member, Community Board 6 and Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID.
Module 2: Housing (Slides).
This session explores how local government shapes housing policy, zoning, and tenant protections. Participants will learn how to engage with planning meetings, City Council decisions, and housing agencies to influence local housing policy.
Special Guests for Q&A:
Alec Schierenbeck, General Counsel, Department of City Planning
Rebecca Kobert, Senior Fair Housing Planner, HPD Equitable Neighborhood Initiatives
Mike Racciopo, Director, Community Board 6.
Mimi Rosenberg, Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society.
Tauno Biltsted, Umbrella House Cooperative Tenant Organizer and housing activist
Module 3: How To be an Informed Local Citizen: Local News, Misinformation (Slides).
This session provides an overview of local news in NYC; equips participants with tools to know misinformation when they see it; and also provides resources for collecting your own information for public writing on local government.
Special guests:
Norman Oder, Independent Journalist, Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report.
Peter Sterne, News and Opinion Editor, City and State.
Hannah Frishberg, WNYC/Gothamist.
Gabriele Holtermann, Photojournalist, The Brooklyn Paper, Schneps Media
Swapneel Mehta, AI expert and Founder, SimPPL
Vikram Oberoi, Founder, City Meetings.nyc (On using AI to document local meetings)
Module 4: Political and Advocacy Campaigns and GOTV. (Slides)
See also the NYPL Voter Guide for additional information on elections.
New Yorkers have made impressive changes through unprecedented participation in voting and getting out the vote in the 2025 mayoral election campaign. This session discusses the basics of how elections work in NYC and how you can be an effective participant in expanding the electorate and helping voters become engaged in local elections and local issues. We will discuss what is known about what is more effective for getting voters to register and show up to the polls. Our panel will include practitioners involved in local GOTV efforts and NYC elections.
Ben Weinberg, Policy Director at Citizens Union
Eric Marczika, Field Lead – NYC DSA
Sanjana Malireddy, Field Director, Claire Valdez for Congress
Module 5: How to Engage the NYPD and Hold Police Accountable (Slides)
RSVP: October 14, 7-9PM at Old Stone House.
Crime and policing was one of the top issues in the 2025 mayoral elections and before. But what are the levers of power citizens and their representatives have to influence how police protect their neighborhoods and how they treat the people they interact with in the city? And what (if anything) can NYC and its police do when it comes to protecting immigrants in NYC? This session will explain how policing works in NYC and how citizens can hold police accountable and lobby for resources and policy change in policing.
Erika Clark, 78th Precinct Community Council President and BID Chair.
Jennvine Wong, Senior Trial Attorney, The Legal Aid Society.
Module 6: Defending and Expanding Public Services in Your Neighborhood
RSVP: October 21, 7-9 PM at Old Stone House
Public services from sanitation to education to libraries and safe bike lanes are not only essential to day to day life but core to social life in our neighborhoods. In this session, we’ll discuss the range of public services in NYC, how they are funded, and how residents can advocate for them.
Guests TBA
Module TBA: Tenant Rights and Tenant Organizing.
Following from high demand in our housing session, we plan to develop a full session on tenant rights, tenant organization, and defending tenants. We will include an overview of rights, legal tools, and stories of housing activism and a panel of tenant lawyers, tenant activists, and HPD officials. Attendees will have the opportunity to come with their problems and get advice from practitioners and tenant rights attorneys.